How often should you feed your tropical fish?

Tropical fish with their vibrant colors are a good option to be had as pets. Relatively easy to care for, with the right amount of awareness and caution, they can do well in community tanks. While you need to take into consideration several factors such as the fish tank capacity, fish compatibility, and cleanliness of the tank, you also need to be aware of their feeding habits.

Feeding your fish the right amount of food, the right type of food, at right times is very crucial for their well-being. Rest assured that it is not a very difficult task, though. If you are aware of the food habits of the type of fish you have, it will be easier to keep them well-fed. Just avoid a few common mistakes and never overfeed your fish.

Know your fish’s diet

Learn about your fish’s food habits by either researching or asking the pet shop owner.

What do they eat? Check if the fish eat algae, shrimps, or other fish food.

How do they eat? Are they top feeders or bottom feeders or middle-level feeders? This will help you determine whether to go for floating food, food that can be stuck to the surface of the tank, or sinking pellets.

Dry or frozen food? Ask the pet shop owner or the vet whether your fish needs the dry food or the frozen variety.

Do they need supplements? If your fish need supplements in the forms of vegetables, you can put in small pieces of carrots or cucumbers for them to nibble on.

How often should I feed my tropical fish?

Remember the below points while feeding your fish:

It is advisable to replicate the food habits that the fish are used to. The feeding habits depend on whether the fish have been caught from the wild or have been bred in aquariums. Tropical fish in the wild usually feed whenever they can or sometimes, go without food for long periods. Hence, getting such fish on a feeding routine might prove a little tricky. Aquarium bred fish are used to a feeding schedule and you might want to stick to that.

Generally, it is a good idea to feed your tropical fish very small amounts of food at regular intervals. This is close to their natural habits. The catch here is not to overfeeding them. Feeding too much food can be fatal for the fish. Roughly, three flakes per fish per feeding is considered fine. However, this depends on the size of the fish too. Bigger sized fish might need more food than this.

To ensure you are not overfeeding the fish, look at the tank water 1 – 5 minutes after you have put in the food. If there is a lot of residue, you are definitely overfeeding the fish. Ideally, the food should be quickly finished by the fish within five minutes.

Remember that feeding less food is always preferable than feeding too much. Tropical fish can go for days without feeding. As long as the fish look healthy and are swimming well, you can be assured that they are well.Lastly, don’t forget to clean up the tank regularly. Some food residue and excreta is bound to be left behind in the tank water. Always clean the tank regularly to prevent toxic built-up.